VOLLEYBALL

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Belogorie BELGOROD ready to start with a renewed team

Friday 30th of October 2015

Belgorod, Russia, October 29, 2015. On Thursday, October 29, the representatives of Belogorie BELGOROD had a meeting with the local media to discuss the upcoming season as well as their campaign in the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Men. The media were addressed by the Vice President of the Belogorie club, Anatoly Bagrey, assistant coach Boriss Kolcins and Russian Volleyball icon Sergey Tetyukhin.

Mr Bagrey announced that many changes had been made to the roster of the team during the off season. Among those who left are both setters – Dragan Travica moved to Halkbank ANKARA and Sergey Bagrey to Zenit KAZAN. German opposite György Grozer has been transferred to Korea for one season. Dmitry Ilinykh is also expected to play in a new club, most probably in Italy.

Belogorie BELGOROD’s setters for this season are Sergey Antipkin from Gazprom-Ugra SURGUT and Konstantin Lesik who started the last season with Zenit KAZAN. New opposite is Roman Danilov who is back in Belgorod from Ural UFA. There are also changes in the compartment of the outside spikers – Dmitry Krasikov from Fakel NOVY URENGOY and Marko Ivovic from Asseco Resovia RZESZOW have joined the ranks of Belogorie. Krasikov also started his Volleyball career in Belgorod and has now come back home like Danilov after spending some seasons away. And the new libero is Roman Martynyuk, also moving from Fakel NOVY URENGOY.

Commenting on the changes in the team roster Belogorie’s assistant coach Boriss Kolcins stated that he has to work with a new team now: “When one or two new players come the team is already a new one. And when both setters are new it’s twice more difficult to prepare the group. That’s what we are working on right now – to find the best chemistry between the players on court.”

Presenting the upcoming European campaign in the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League the club’s Vice President Anatoly Bagrey reminded once again that Belogorie BELGOROD was drawn into Pool A together with Arkas IZMIR, BERLIN Recycling Volleys and Marek Union-Ivkoni DUPNITSA. The Lions will start their attempt to seize Europe’s elite club competition with an away match in Bulgaria against DUPNITSA. And the goal is the same as always – to be on top, all other options are seen as a failure.

Boriss Kolcins stated that it’s very important to prepare seriously for every match: “Any outsider is much more dangerous than a favourite. Teams considered by others as outsiders are often able to surprise their opponents. We still remember the “lesson” from Budvanska Rivijera BUDVA when we were too much self-confident and hardly won the tie-break. And now Marek Union-Ivkoni DUPNITSA has a serious motivation to play their best to keep their place in the Champions League for the future. So we are taking our first match very seriously.”

Legendary Sergey Tetyukhin though already 40 is still eager to play and he promised that the upcoming season will be very interesting. “The national championship will be played in a new format, without playoffs, which means that you have double or even triple responsibility for every match and no right for mistake. The Champions League matches are always special and you have to be well prepared. Every team will do their best to win. So I am glad that the team is finally complete and we are training all together.”

Belogorie BELGOROD will start their European campaign on November 4, 2015 in Bulgaria with a match against Marek Union-Ivkoni DUPNITSA to continue at home on November 17, 2015 when they will host the bronze medallists of the 2015 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League, Germany’s BERLIN Recycling Volleys.